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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pass · saw · key · shower · bass · sharp · perch · patient

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. bass — the fish
  4. saw — the tool
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. saw — the tool
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. key — for a lock
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. key — in music
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. key — the most important part
  16. shower — to wash
  17. bass — low music
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. perch — the fish
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. sharp — clever
  23. shower — rain
  24. pass — a permit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com